The sower 1903

Albin Egger-Lienz made "The Sower" without noting when, rendering a portrait of a farmer in what looks like oil paint. The colors are muted, mostly browns and grays, which gives the whole scene a very earthy feel, emphasizing art-making as a process rooted in physical labor. Up close, you can see how Egger-Lienz builds up the texture of the field, it’s almost like he’s sculpting the earth with his brush. The paint isn’t too thick, but you can still see the strokes, especially in the way he’s suggested the furrows of the field. Notice how the sower’s hand, scattering seeds, is rendered with such care, each grain almost a tiny brushstroke of hope. Egger-Lienz’s stark, somewhat melancholic realism reminds me a little of Millet, but with a more modern, almost existential twist. You feel the weight of the land and the solitude of the worker, it's this sense of enduring hardship that continues to resonate today.